Dead and Company Tour Highlights

October 30, 2015

Thanks for a great tour everyone. See you in 2016. For complete tour set lists click here. For reviews, audio, and pictures scroll down.

THE FORUM

"The night concluded with a “Brokedown Palace” encore preceded by Mayer’s remarks which suggested that the song’s opening lines of “fare you well” were just a temporary proclamation and not a final one." - Read the full review here.

"Dead & Company Take The Forum On A Long Strange Trip, Announce Plans To Tour In 2016." Read the full review here.

"The reveal, greeted with resounding cheers, followed several more New Year's surprises. Chief among them: a giant flying joint that crisscrossed the arena with Jerry Garcia's daughter Trixie and longtime Dead representative Bernie Cahill at the steer and the Star Wars theme as its soundtrack." Read the full review here.

"John Mayer hops aboard the Dead & Company train at the Forum." Read the full review here.

BILL GRAHAM CIVIC AUDITORIUM

"Mayer was back up front for a reggae- tinged "Standing On The Moon," while "Cassidy" gave the band a chance to stretch its improvisational legs. A raucous "U.S. Blues" brought the first set of the run to a close." ~ Jambase.com - Read the full review here.

"Last night in San Francisco, Dead & Company returned to the stage with the first of their four-night California New Year’s run and the first of two shows at Bill Graham Civic Auditorium." ~ jambands.com - Read the full review here.

"The Deadheads, as always, were a sight to behold. The mix of old, young and in between — many of the males sporting unshorn locks, females decked out in floral headbands, and hundreds wearing tie-dyed T-shirts decorated with the familiar dancing bears or lightning-bolt skulls — was sprinkled throughout the arena."~John Taylor. Read the full review here.

FIRST BANK CENTER

"...but Mayer—who says he trained for this tour “like a boxer,” learning over a hundred songs—succeeded where few, if any, have: He brought actual grooves and harmonies back to Grateful Dead music." ~ Adam Perry - Read the full review here.

"Mayer’s lightning-quick fretwork also boosted the energy of the extended instrumental passage in the latter, building energy and feeding off the crowd, which at one point practically drowned out a crescendo in cheers." ~ Candace Horgan - Read the full review here.

TARGET CENTER

“That’s for sure, me included,” Dead drummer Mickey Hart admitted this week. “I never thought it could happen. He’s a blues player, he plays the hits, and he sings.” Read the full review here. By Jon Bream - Star Tribune

NATIONWIDE ARENA

"The six together, in fact, contradicted all but the most cynical suggestions that this incarnation of the Grateful Dead heritage is just another cash grab." - Tim Johnson - ColumbusDispatch.com- Read the full review here.

FIRST NIAGARA CENTER

"The group is the closest thing to a Grateful Dead show that most fans will see in their lifetime." - Thom Jennings - NiagaraGazette.com -
Read the full review here.

"When it was all over, I experienced what alcoholics often refer to as a moment of clarity where everything in life suddenly becomes clear. I was able to separate myself from the folklore and actually grasp what makes The Dead such a masterful avenue for musical transcendence." - Examiner.com - Read the full review here.

DCU CENTER

"No one’s laughing now, just over a week into the maiden voyage of Dead & Company, which also includes keyboardist Jeff Chimenti and bassist Oteil Burbridge. On Tuesday night at the DCU Center in Worcester, the group was potent enough to enrapture the faithful and convert the skeptical." - Steve Smith - BostonGlobe.com - Read the full review here.

“They're a band beyond description, Like Jehovah's favorite choir People joining hand in hand, While the music played the band, Lord they're setting us on fire.” - golocalprov.com - Read the full review here.

AMEX Live Stream November 7th

"It's like a spiritual journey." - Brett Ratner on directing the event. - Read the full review here.

"Normally we don't have corporate sponsorship but this isn't 1967,'' "This is 2015. …. It's a different environment and it's for the good. (Robin Hood) has boots on the ground. They're really helping people that are less fortunate." - Mickey Hart. - NBC News With Steve Liesman - Read the full review here.

VERIZON CENTER - November 6th

"The band isn't finished mining the Dead repertoire yet with the visit to D.C. containing six tour debuts." - jambase.com - Read the full review here.

"By the time “West L.A. Fadeaway” came around two songs later, Mayer had lost his jacket, and the group had come into its own." - John Miller - thehoya.com - Read the full review here.

WELLS'S FARGO CENTER - November 5th

"...perhaps Mayers’ biggest role in the show was that he seemed to re-energize the band." - John J. Moser - The Morning Call - Read the full review here.

"Closing out the first set and making its tour debut was "Casey Jones," which incited a mini crowd riot stemming from pure excitement." - Alyssa Ladzinski - musictimes.com - Read the full review here.

"The sextet came out of the gates for the second set with the Dead & Company debut of "Iko Iko" propelled by The Rhythm Devils." - jambase.com - Read the full review here.

MADISON SQUARE GARDEN - October 30th & 31st

"Drummer-percussionists Hart and Kreutzmann created the smooth-flowing foundation for the songs, though there was also a sense of restless creativity to their beats, with subtle accents constantly adding unexpected flavors."
Jay Lusig - NorthJersey.com - Read the full review here.

"Hart and Kreutzmann's "Drums"/"Space" segment was particularly tribal and mesmerizing, and Weir seemed dialed-in and focused in ways he hasn't always been in the past few years."
David Browne - rollingstone.com - Read the full review here.

"The entire band performed with confidence and, dare I say it, precision. Mayer handled Jerry's parts with ease, faithfully recreating many of his signature lines in song after song, and then exploding beyond them. If there were any lingering doubts, they were erased with the first notes of his first solo in "Eyes of the World." He would go on to attack the song further, strumming and shredding chords with intensity."
Jim Roberts - mashable.com - Read the full review here.

"Weir closed out the evening in uproarious fashion with a thrilling encore of Werewolves of London — playing off Mayer for a peerless guitar match-up — but not before Hart and Kreutzmann got a chance to take center stage, hypnotizing the crowd with a 10-minute riff on drums and percussion leading up to the big finale."
Patrick Ryan - USA TODAY - Read the full review here.

"And skepticism be damned: This Mayer-fronted iteration of the iconic jam band surpassed expectations in just about every way. Freed by his philosophy as a modern Dead acolyte, Mayer enthusiastically guided the group through a murderer’s row of its best songs, achieving a degree of six-string magnetism that eluded prior Garcia devotees who stuck to his script too rigidly."
Eric Renner Brown - Entertainment Weekly - Read the full review here.

"Hart shined brightest on "Drums" as he helped deliver a dance-friendly start to the segment and later provided the backbone for "Space" by strumming "The Beam. Dead and Company's first tour marks Bobby's return to the road after the longest layoff of his career. The time off seems to have done the guitarist well. Not only did he impress at Fare Thee Well, but he was in strong voice and his signature, weirdly awesome rhythm work propelled Mayer's leads to great heights at MSG."
Adam McCullough - JamBase.com - Read the full review here.

“Estimated Prophet” let Burbridge stretch out as they transitioned into “Eyes of the World,” a Dead anthem if ever there was one, and a song that fell a little flat during “Fare Thee Well.” It was redeemed, thanks in large part to Mayer and Burbridge, who demonstrated their own emotional connections, and certainly an appreciation, for the song’s importance in the annals of the Dead."
Shirley Halperin - Billboard.com - Read the full review here.

TIMES UNION CENTER

"The group’s performance Thursday night to a capacity crowd at the Times Union Center should quell the concerns of any doubting Thomas over Mayer’s inclusion. He was simply astounding, pushing the band forward with his virtuosic fretwork and an infectious energy that propelled the show from start-to-finish."
Jim Shahen Jr. - TimesUnion.com - Read the full review here.

"Overall this band is a fantastic way to celebrate 50 years of The Dead, whether you were in Santa Clara or Chicago or not. The fact that the guys can still have those special moments should be celebrated. Not every Dead show was perfect back in the day and neither will Dead & Company’s, but for those moments when it all comes together and the crowd is going wild, it’s worth it to check this band out. If Mayer gets comfortable and is given some more rope to lead, this band could really take off."
Bryan Lasky - JamBase.com - Read the full review here.

"Deadheads looking for a little company this fall will definitely have something to cheer. Last night in Albany we got our first-ever look at the latest incarnation supporting three core Grateful Dead members along with a few new faces, notably a crispy guitarist who seemed willing and more than able to prove he belongs."
Andrew Francke - Glide Magazine - Read the full review here.

"With Fare Thee Well, the Grateful Dead's five-show run over the summer featuring Trey Anastasio on guitar, skeptics became believers. So how did Mayer do? By most accounts, Mayer fared well in what was viewed as a warm-up show to a two-night stand at New York City's Madison Square Garden. From the opening chords of "Playing in the Band," then segueing into "Cold Rain and Snow," fears were immediately allayed as the expert guitarist played with a tone reminiscent of Jerry Garcia's own, while bringing his own bluesy style to familiar licks. And once Mayer got his first crack at vocal duties, he also didn't disappoint." "But it was during "Bird Song" that Dead & Co. truly soared. An extended jam had Mayer displaying a fantastic emotive and intuitive sense of where to go next. The song, which Robert Hunter penned the lyrics to in memory of fallen friend Janis Joplin, then transitioned seamlessly into a rollicking version of "The Music Never Stopped," which capped off an 80-minute first set."
Brian Mergentime - Billboard.com - Read the full review here.

"All eyes were on Mayer, who was stepping into the late Jerry Garcia’s role, as lead guitarist and vocalist. Judging from the video, his lead playing was Garcia-influenced, but still retained his own style. And on “Cold Rain and Snow,” his laid back style of vocals seemed to work well."
Brian Ives - Radio.com - Read the full review here.

"All in all, the band sounded very Grateful Dead-like, and John and Bob were very keyed in to each other. In Chicago, Trey seemed to get much deeper into his solos, but I also noticed Bob trying to catch his attention a lot and reign him back in. John, on the other hand, didn’t delve as far out there – his solos were less exploratory and more Dead sounding – but he had his eye on Bob and caught all of the cues. The stage was also smaller than the summer tour stage, and this certainly seemed to help. I know there are a lot of skeptics with this lineup, but I thought the band nailed it and I wouldn’t think twice about recommending catching them on this tour."
Rich Gastwlrt - Gratefulweb.com - Read the full review here.

The Wall Street Journal music blog has some user submitted video worth of checking out here.

"The hours spent with Fred were pure nourishment to me. Wherever we were—whether it was in Paris, London, or the Library of Congress—he had this great rhythm. I couldn’t imagine Fred on the dance floor, but with a book in his hand, he was Nureyev."This site is dedicated to my dear friend and colleague Fredric Lieberman. The man with the well stretched ear.